Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Castor’

ABSTRACT

A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Castor’ characterized by its large blooms with yellow ray-florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date August 19-26; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Castor’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoorpot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating newchrysanthemum cultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural seasonflower date around August 19-26; blooming for a period of 5 weeks. Thenew plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivarof Chrysanthemum plant ‘Castor’ is a seedling resulting from the openpollination among groups of chrysanthemum cultivars maintained under thecontrol of the inventor for breeding purposes. The new and distinctcultivar was discovered and selected as one flowering plant by RobNoodelijk on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout Holland in August 2000.The plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings in greenhouses atRijsenhout Holland. The new cultivar has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of petiole and foliage of the newcultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under naturalday length and temperature and planted week 22 in 2000 and 2001. Thenatural blooming date of this crop was August 19-26 (week 34). Theaverage height of the plants was 28 cms. No growth retardants were used.No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. Notests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produceslarge sized blooms with yellow ray florets blooming for a period of 5weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Castor’ is ‘Erica’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,842). When‘Erica’ and ‘Castor’ are being compared the following differences arenoticed: The differences of ‘Erica’ and ‘Castor’ is (1) Naturalflowering date. ‘Castor’ flowers earlier than ‘Erica’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Castor’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

Table 1. Botanical Description of cultivar ‘Castor’

Bud:

Size.—Large ;cross-section 1.2 cm, height 1.4 cm.

Outside color.—Yellow 13 A.

Involucral bracts.—2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm.

Involucral bracts among disc-florets.—Not present.

Involucral bracts color.—Green 138 B.

Bloom:

Type.—Decorative.

Height.—Medium. 1.5-2.0 cm.

Size.—Large.

Fully expanded.—6.0-7.0 cm.

Number of blooms per branch.—Approx. 5-6 blooms per branch.

Performance on the plant.—5 weeks.

Seeds.—Produced in small quantities, ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm inlength.

Fragrance.—Typical chrysanthemum, slightly.

Color:

Center of the flower.—Immature yellow-green 151 B. Mature yellow 13 B.

Color of upper surface of the ray-florets.—Yellow 13 B.

Color of the lower surface of the ray-florets.—Yellow 13 A.

Tonality from distance.—A garden mum with yellow flowers.

Color of upper surface of the ray-florets at aging of the plant.—Yellow13 B.

Ray florets:

Texture.—Upper and under side smooth.

Number.—140-160.

Cross-section.—Concave.

Longitudinal axis of majority.—Reflexing.

Length of corolla tube.—Long. 1.2-1.7 cm.

Ray-floret margin.—Entire.

Ray-floret length.—2.8-3.2 cm.

Ray-floret width.—0.5-0.7 cm.

Ratio length / width.—Medium.

Shape of tip.—Pointed.

Disc florets: Not present.

Receptacle shape: Domed raised.

Reproductive organs:

Stamen.—Thin. 3 mm in length.

Stamen color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Pollen.—Present in a very small amount.

Pollen color.—Yellow 13 A.

Styles.—Thin.

Style color.—Yellow-green 144A.

Style length.—4 mm.

Stigmas.—Thin. Yellow-green 144 A.

Stigma width.—1 mm.

Ovaries.—Enclosed in calyx.

Plant:

Shape.—When grown as a spray type pot mum, outdoor mounded and round.

Growth habit.—Vigorous.

Growth rate.—Moderate.

Height.—28 cm.

Width.—32-34 cm.

Stem color.—Green 138 A.

Stem strength.—Strong.

Stem brittleness.—Brittle.

Stem anthocyanin coloration.—Absent.

Length of lateral branch.—From top to bottom 13-14 cm.

Lateral branch color.—Green 138 A.

Lateral branch, attachment.—Brittle.

Branching (average number of lateral branches).—Good with 6-7 breaksafter pinching.

Peduncle length.—3.0-4.0 cm.

Peduncle color.—Green 138 A.

Natural season blooming date.—August 19-26.

Foliage:

Color.—Upper side yellow-green 148 A. Under side yellow-green 148 C.

Size.—Medium; length 5.0 cm, width 4.5 cm.

Quantity (number per lateral branch).—6-8.

Shape.—Ovate.

Texture upper side.—Glabrous.

Texture under side.—Pubescent.

Venation arrangement.—Palmate.

Shape of the margin.—Serrated.

Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes.—Acute.

Margin of sinus between lateral lobes.—Diverging.

Shape of base.—Truncate.

Apex.—Mucronate.

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties ‘CASTOR’ ‘ERICA’Natural flowering date August 19-26 September 25-30

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant asdescribed and illustrated.